[tsk1979]

Well LOG.... our case was a little more complicated. It was not some sheet missing in bridge, but the bridge was missing.
So as the BRO guy called "We do not have all day to waste hurry up", I shifted to 4L, and started moving.

The girder was a problem. It was not designed for cars. It has sharp sections. So we combined 2 girders, and on the narrow center hump the safari would ride.
Left tires would be on solid ground. Right tire would be on top if a narrow section
Imagine 2 girders like this |__||__|. On the center hump we have to go.
Edges were sharp, so to climb wooden plank was put.

And inch by inch I moved. If there is slight imbalance the girders will move!
Finally, after what seemed like eternity, we crossed. We were free. We had crossed the broken bridge!

I take 2 quick pics




In the first pic you can see the long gap. Only left side(when viwed from other side has around a meter of road.
the right side is a drop into the river!


The hurdle had been crossed, my hands were sweaty, but deep down we knew, the major obstacle had been crossed. Pangong was waiting.....

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Well LOG.... our case was a little more complicated. It was not some sheet missing in bridge, but the bridge was missing.

Yup, the pic makes the thing clear. Definitely scary!
Good that the BRO guys were there man.

[MileCruncher]

Tanveer, thats one adventurous journey man. Btw could you provide the map of the route you took?

[svaid]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

The hurdle had been crossed, my hands were sweaty, but deep down we knew, the major obstacle had been crossed. Pangong was waiting.....

@Tsk1979 - Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with us. I always look forward to reading your travelogues. The reason primarily is

• Each travelogue has a proper background/introduction and event sequence.
• Every photograph is tied with wonderful narration which presents the reader with the exact perspective and the associated circumstances
• Excellent quality of pictures ( no random or blurred/amateur or irrelevant images )

Thanks once again & Looking forward to rest of the story.....

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by lordofgondor

Yup, the pic makes the thing clear. Definitely scary!
Good that the BRO guys were there man.

Yup. they were a life saver.

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Tanveer, thats one adventurous journey man. Btw could you provide the map of the route you took?

Will do, at the end of every leg will put up the map

Originally Posted by svaid

@Tsk1979 - Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with us. I always look forward to reading your travelogues. The reason primarily is

• Each travelogue has a proper background/introduction and event sequence.
• Every photograph is tied with wonderful narration which presents the reader with the exact perspective and the associated circumstances
• Excellent quality of pictures ( no random or blurred/amateur or irrelevant images )

Thanks once again & Looking forward to rest of the story.....

Thanks svaid!

[tsk1979]

The major hurdle was crossed. Only minor ones remained. In hindsight, they were not so minor. But after all this, driving on rocky landslides was cakewalk.
Terrain ranged from "Are you kidding me or what"

To plan old rocky driving. gingerly, we treaded on the rocks, and avoided sharp stones. After all this, a sidewall puncture would be anti-climax!

and then, out of nowhere, came the Road. Yes A road. A proper road. With tar. Perfectly rolled. It did not last long, but it was there.


I must have taken a million pics there I think. Such was the excitement. There was a proper road here. And we were riding it.


There were bad sections, but they were few


We started rising from our 3200 odd meters. Tangste sits at 4000+. Since there was no pass on the way, we would gently rise


Far away the clouds huffed and puffed, probably venting on the Chang La, but for us it was sunny


I shot the ORVM. Little did I know, I would be saying goodbye to it soon.


the going was mixed. Sometimes road, sometimes landslide. When land slides, you get down and clear the rocks.


But all this was minor. We were steadily going towards Tangste. Pangong was waiting
At Shyok Village, there was a minor landslide being cleared, and that was the end it.
We crossed over, and I shot some birds of paradise






and soon we merged with the ChangLa road. We had arrived!


At the permit stop before Tangste I checked the register, and there were just 3 names for today. Vaibhav, and co. Looks like Chang La was still holding the traffic. We would be along at Pangong


It was 12:35PM and we were at Tangste!

Time to reserve a room, wash our faces, have some tea... And then head over to the Pangong Lake!
Yay!

Our route for the day!


We had done the new route.
We had skipped the Wari La and Chang La.
And we were going to Pangong.
And we still had 2 ORVMs

[rkbharat]

wonderful, this route looks very promising, hope they improve the condition this year and I do it in SX4 next year LoL

Just too good pics

[MileCruncher]

Tanveer, what was the distance you covered on this route between Diskit and Tangtse?

Whats your take on 2wd's making this route especially if there is no major landslide?

[rajeevn]

As usual, TSK has done it yet again... More power to you!



[quote=tsk1979;1940747]It is cold. Which is unusual because its June. Its not supposed to be cold in June, esp since the sun has broken out partially.
After days of intermittent rain, its sunny today.. Partially that is.
But for me, its cold. I am very cold. I am freezing. The air must be around 12-15 degrees C, but it does not matter.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

wonderful, this route looks very promising, hope they improve the condition this year and I do it in SX4 next year LoL

Just too good pics

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Tanveer, what was the distance you covered on this route between Diskit and Tangtse?

Whats your take on 2wd's making this route especially if there is no major landslide?

This route is under construction. BRO workers were on in full swing making the road. A year from now it will be a proper road, much easier than Khardungla and changla. No issues for cars or 2wds.
But this time, since its a new route, many road sections were actually mountains cut through by bulldozers. Thats why the toughness.
Regarding distance, Diskit to Tangste was only 122kms
When route is done, its max 3.5 hours run.
Last year we went via Wari La route. It was 188kms

Originally Posted by rajeevn

As usual, TSK has done it yet again... More power to you!

thanks rajeev

[tsk1979]

Tangste is just an hour's drive from Pangong. Also, its the only place nearby where there is a BSNL tower.
Unfortunately the BSNL tower has run out of diesel. So we cannot make a call.
Actually, even when BSNL tower has diesel, you cannot make calls, because its BSNL, the best telephone network. They are trying to promote Yogic Telephatic communication, so their network rarely works in Ladakh.

Anyways, for the non Yogis, from this year they have provided DSPT(Direct Satellite Public telephones) in remote villages.
So near Pangong you can make a call for 2rs/minute.
Not bad for a satellite call.

Anyways, we drive to pangong, and reach the "Khushboo cafe" which is the Army run canteen. We are the only patrons. We give our order, head westwards to the phone, and give a ride to 3 armymen on the Safari footboards.

I take a nice pic. Infact the most colorful pic till now. There is no grey, except for the road.
The lake is blue, the grass is green, and the sky is puffy white and blue

And guess what, second and third pics with the FZ-35






As we eat, I hear multiple roars of common rail diesels. The circus has arrived. ChangLa must have opened. There is an entire deluge of taxis, coming to pangong at break neck speed. Maybe they are worried Pangong would run away. Well at their speed, anybody would

We also head searching for a secluded spot to enjoy the magnificient lake.
I see 4 innovas approaching at high speed. As you should do in ladakh, I park to one side to let the madmen pass.

2 pass by, and the 3rd one "Whack".
The White Elephants driver side ORVM is blown to smithereens.
The assembly is intact, but the glass is totally gone.

The cursed Taxi driver, instead of even slowing down, speeds up more, lest I chase him, but in this deluge of innova's he is lost forever.

I am left with a broken ORVM(I am now told I have to replace entire assembly for almost 5k or fit desi mirror inside(150rs) or go to Jama Masjid scrap market looking for ORVMs of accidental safaris). We curse the maniac silently, and start looking out for revenge from his fellow brethren(we get our revenge soon, but that story I better not divulge).

The mood is foul, and it feels sad, to lose an ORVM like this. Silently in my heart I curse the taxi driver and his vehicle very foul fortunes(which again I shall not divulge lest I be hounded by thought moral police), and feel slightly better.

Anyways, not much we can do, its time to go ahead and enjoy the lake and take pictures.

TO BE CONT........

[unoczar]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I am left with a broken ORVM(I am now told I have to replace entire assembly for almost 5k or fit desi mirror inside(150rs) or go to Jama Masjid scrap market looking for ORVMs of accidental safaris).

My swift's same mirror was broken by my cousin.. he din't tell me and fixed a desi (100rs)

i could make out instantly, and had to buy a new one. The original thing costs around 1500rs. but i got a china thing for half the price exactly 750rs. May be china's into TATA's too.. check it out.

china company: KOITO

* The mirror is working fine just like the original, it hasn't fallen off or anything (as told by some), but there's a little vibration while driving. But only an expert can make out the fake from the original.

[tsk1979]

The drive near Shyok durbuk once roads get good

YouTube - Shyok Road drive in Ladakh

[ptushar]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

They are trying to promote Yogic Telephatic communication, so their network rarely works in Ladakh.

Bet this will work better than their phone lines.
Anyways, the positive side to the story is that since it is a govt run machinery, they will atleast attempt to create a communication channel in such forgotten worlds. The run-behind-money companies will not find it a profit making venture to even attempt a mobile tower in these places.
Good to hear abot the sattelite phone seva. Nice job.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

We also head searching for a secluded spot to enjoy the magnificient lake.
I see 4 innovas approaching at high speed. As you should do in ladakh, I park to one side to let the madmen pass.

Truly sorry to hear this. I know how it hurts. Lost one myself; though was not so expensive to replace.

Whenever I see such maniacs aproaching I deliberately drive such a way that it has to slow them down considerably. They are mad and get worse when this happens and honk as if they have been entrusted the holy task of waking god!!! But atleast it slows them down; then I go to the extreme left and let them pass. I get a lot of scowls and sometimes even sweet words thrown at me, but then I take solace in the fact that atleast they are not going to get me a visit to the nearest garage to get a mirror relaced or a scratch repaired.

Sad to note that in such beautiful places people are almost driving as if they want to get away from all this beauty around them.

[tsk1979]

What better way to cheer up than look at the blue lake. Its quite a sight. Majestic. Like a deep blue sea. Actually its a mini sea. Calling it a lake is an understatement.

Pangong has birds. but I am not a birder. So could not take many pics


Those blue waters. I did not have a polarizer on this trip

It was windy, and the waves show it


The pesky taxis have arrived, and most of our spots are taken by tourists. However, there is one spot, which is sandy and secluded. Its so tricky that even 4x4s have a tough time(well I did). I was zooming through in 4H, even then the tire grooves are deep as sand gives away


But this spot is worth it for the views


the injured white elephant basking in the sun on hard ground.


Time for the panny shots. Sometimes landscapes look great with tele
The colors of pangong




The mountains far away


However, its not just the lake which is lovely, even the snow clad lofty peaks have their charm


The winds up there


The lake again


TO BE CONT.........